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Work goes on to save grottoes’ treasures
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DEEP within a network of caves lining the shores of the Dunhuang oasis in Gansu Province, thousands of 1,600-year-old Buddhist sculptures sit in silent decay.
The Mogao Grottoes — a collection of Buddhist artworks occupying the caves on a 1,700-meter cliff, which are considered one of finest in existence — was listed as a world heritage site in 1987.
But hundreds of years spent in the damp confines of the caves has taken its toll on the precious works, said Wang Xudong, deputy president of Dunhuang Academy.
Wang and his colleagues have spent decades countering the corrosion in the ancient cultural site. And as the academy celebrates its 70th anniversary this month, they are celebrating the 5,000-square-meter restoration milestone while digging in to continue their exhaustive efforts.
Since its establishment in 1944, the academy has devoted its resources to repairing and restoring the antique wall paintings in the grottoes.
Based in the nearby city of Dunhuang, the academy boasts a team of highly skilled specialists who, in addition to decades restoring the artworks, have spent the past few years photographing the frescos in hopes that even if the Buddhist art falls to decay, digital references will last for centuries to come.
Using modern technology, they’ve also devised processes to “cure” the cracked, flaked, faded and detached murals.
Their goal is to “prolong the life of the world cultural heritage site” indefinitely, Wang said.
Known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, the Mogao Grottoes consist of 735 caves, with the ancient Buddhist frescos on the inside walls covering a combined area of 45,000 square meters. The paintings are considered among the best preserved in the world.
Since the 1980s, the academy has worked with institutions from around the world to explore mural restoration technologies and cultivate talent.
In 2009, the National Engineering Research Center for the Conservation of Ancient Wall Paintings was set up in the academy to serve as a center for ancient mural restoration for both the Mogao Grottoes and other ancient murals.
Of China’s 38 sites on the World Heritage List, 11 have ancient murals.
Dunhuang, a boom town on the ancient Silk Road, is home to more than 800 grottoes that are at least 1,600 years old.
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